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Public meeting tonight on school district's projected $717,000 deficit

High school sports programs could be cut from the 2009-10 budget to erase a projected $717,000 deficit.

— image credit: Jeff VanDerford / South Whidbey Record

The San Juan Island School District may reduce staff and programs beginning as early as the 2009-10 school year because of a decline in enrollment and reduction in state funding.

A special board meeting is scheduled today at 6 p.m. in the Friday Harbor High School library. The meeting will address long-range planning options needed to address an anticipated $717,200 budget shortfall. The meeting is open to the public.

Another meeting is planned on Dec. 17. Superintendent Michael Soltman said cuts could be decided by the end of January. The 2009-10 budget must be approved by June.

The district is purchasing a new bus at a cost of about $86,691. The state funds a portion of transportation expenses.

Declines in enrollment, state fundingThe school district’s 2008-09 budget anticipates revenues this year of $9,366,516. Some $4.5 million will come from the state based on enrollment, $1.5 million will come from the local voter-approved maintenance and operations property tax levy, $1.2 million will come from program fees and services, $1.1 million will come from the state for special programs, $700,000 will come from the federal government for special education and other programs, and $500,000 will come from the local voter-approved capital and technology levy.

The school district’s 2008-09 budget anticipates expenses this year of $9,367,976.

In spring, the school district forecast a $600,000 deficit for 2008-09 because of declining enrollment — the district receives about $5,000 per year per full-time equivalent student from the state — and a shortfall in state funding for state voter-approved pay increases for teachers.

The community raised $537,946 to erase most of that deficit and restore programs. However, since that time, the state’s economy has tanked and Gov. Christine Gregoire has proposed reducing public education funding by $1 billion to help erase a projected $6 billion state budget shortfall.

“This is just a planning scenario. There could be as much as a $100,000 swing each way,” Soltman said of the San Juan School District’s budget shortfall for 2009-10. “But it could be worse.”

Soltman said the district is talking to the Orcas Island School District about ways to share services; the districts currently share a business manager, which saves San Juan about $30,000 a year.

What can islanders do?

“The first thing people need to do is understand the magnitude — how big it is, how big the challenges are,” Soltman said. “We need to put out information about costs and program options for people to chew on — what makes the most sense in terms of reductions.”

Deficit expected to growThe district expects a budget deficit of $1,257,098 in five years.

The school district is also participating in a lawsuit to compel the state to fulfill its “paramount duty” to provide adequate funding for basic education. A number of districts statewide have joined this lawsuit.

The Legislature is expected to address redefining “basic education” and funding in the next session. And statewide efforts to compel the Legislature to fully fund basic education is occurring through advocacy. PTA FOCUS Day is Feb. 26.

The local PTA will travel to Olympia to lobby for public education funding. To participate, call PTA President Deborah Nolan, 378-3364.

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